Sweetened Condensed MilkSweetened
condensed milk is just evaporated milk with sugar added. To make your
own dairy free version, make 1 c. of evaporated milk (recipe above) and,
over medium heat, dissolve 1-1/2 c. of granulated sugar in the mixture.

MargarineWhen
searching for a dairy-free margarine, be sure to examine the product
labels carefully (as always). The first "dairy-free" margarine I bought
said "dairy-free" on it but, after looking at the label more closely at
home, I discovered that it contained a sodium caseinate (a milk
derivative). Due to FALCPA labels should list any of the top 8 allergens in a product. However, it is best not to rely on that entirely.

My favorite dairy free margarine
is Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread. I've used it in cooking,
baking and as a spread and it works well as a butter substitute (and
it's trans fat free!) Earth Balance makes several dairy free products
and even makes a dairy and soy free margarine. They also make margarine
sticks making baking a snap. To find out more about Earth Balance
products, visit www.earthbalance.com.

Coconut oil
is also an option in place of margarine or shortening. It is solid at
room temperature but, like butter and margarine, when heated will melt.
I used it in place of the shortening in this wheat free sugar cookies recipe.

Sour Cream
If you're missing sour cream and can have soy, you're in luck! Your
specialty food store should have a selection of dairy free products
including sour cream. The texture is not the same as real sour cream
but mixed into a recipe or dolloped onto a hot dish like Chicken Tortilla Soup it fits the bill.

Cream CheeseLike
sour cream, I thought we would just do without cream cheese but I also
discovered soy cream cheese available at the specialty food store.
Again, the texture is a little different but, blended with other
ingredients, it works just fine. I use it in the filling in this Fruit Pizza recipe and have used it in many different dips and spreads.

CheeseCheese
must be pretty difficult to duplicate using dairy free ingredients
because I haven't come across one that I love quite as much as the real
thing. The good news, however, is that there are some decent options
that can be used for cooking (pizza!) and mixed with other foods. You
can find reviews of the cheeses I have tried on the Allergy Free Food Finds page.

Ice CreamIce
cream happens to be one of my favorite foods! My son's dairy allergy
was a great excuse to purchase an ice cream maker attachment for my
stand mixer...and boy, has it come in handy! I have made countless
batches of ice cream, sorbet and gelato. Check out the Allergy Free Recipes page to see my dairy AND soy free ice cream and sorbet recipes.

If
you aren't into making your own ice cream, you're in luck! You can
find many dairy free ice cream options at a specialty food store (and
sometimes even at the regular grocery store). These dairy free ice
cream options are often soy based but there are also rice "cream" and
coconut milk ice cream options. In the column to the right you'll find
some of my favorites.

FrostingDairy
free frosting is easy to find at the regular grocery store. The one
that I currently use is a variety by Pillsbury (the one with the blue
lid). Please be sure to check labels, though, because many of the same
brand DO contain dairy AND product ingredients change far more often
than I update this page! Cherrybrook Kitchen also makes a ready made
frosting.

YogurtIf you're a yogurt fan and are not allergic to soy, several different brands of soy based yogurt are available (Silk is one). So Delicious
brand coconut yogurt is a great option if you're allergic to soy AND
dairy. Try using it as a dip for fruit or buy plain and use it to make a
dressing for creamy salads like this Crunchy Apple Coleslaw recipe.

Chocolate chips and baking chocolateIf
you only have a dairy allergy and have no issues with nuts, you should
be able to find baking chocolate like semi-sweet and bittersweet at the
regular grocery store. I have found them but they often contain the
advisory statement "may contain nuts".

If nuts are an issue, try Enjoy Life Foods Gluten-Free Chocolate Chips.
They are made in a nut free facility, are dairy free and soy free and
they work well in cookies, muffins, sauces and frostings. You can use
them just like you would semi-sweet chocolate chips and you won't be
able to tell the difference!